1) What is the difference between private law and public law?
2) Why are some branches of public and private law sometimes closely related?
3) Why is it sometimes considered that administrative law is one of the most complicated branches of law?
4) What matters does international law concern?
5) Do you know the difference between written and unwritten constitution?
6) Name six major branches of private law.
7) Name four major branches of public law.
Agree or disagree and support your point of view.
1) Every law has a loophole.
2) The law of the jungle governs all in Free Market economy.
Sum up all information about.
Private law
Public law
TEXT 3. KINDS OF LAWS
Laws fall into two major groups: criminal and civil. Criminal laws regulate public conduct and set out duties owed to society. A criminal case is a legal action brought by the government against a person charged with committing a crime. Criminal laws have penalties, and offenders are imprisoned, fined, placed under supervision, or punished in some other way. Criminal offenses are divided into felonies and misdemeanors. The penalty for a felony is a term of more than one year in prison. For a misdemeanor, the penalty is a prison term of one year or less. Felonies are more serious crimes such as murder or robbery. Misdemeanors are less serious crimes such as simple assault or minor theft.
Civil laws regulate relations between individuals or groups of individuals. A civil action (lawsuit) can be brought by a person who feels wronged or injured by another person. Courts may award the injured person money for the loss, or they may order the person who committed the wrong to make amends in some other way. An example of a civil action is a lawsuit for recovery of damages suffered in an automobile accident. Civil laws regulate many everyday situations, such as marriage, divorce, contracts, real estate, insurance, consumer protection, and negligence. Sometimes one action can violate both civil and criminal law.
Find the English equivalents for the following words and expressions in the text.
совершать преступления, уголовное право, оштрафовать, гражданское право, поместить под наблюдение, уголовное преступление, возмещать убытки, судебный процесс, судебно наказуемый поступок
Put the words in the right order to make up the sentences.
1) criminal / felonies / are / and / into / divided / offenses / misdemeanors
2) are / or / less / crimes / such / simple / as / assault / misdemeanors / serious / theft
3) or / felonies / are / serious / such / more / as / murder / robbery / crimes
4) civil / many / laws / situations / regulate / everyday
5) may / loss / the / injured / person / courts / money / for / award / the
Match the words on the left with the correct definitions on the right.
| 1) jurisprudence | a) law dealing with private rights of citizens, not with crime |
| 2) criminal law | b) punishment for wrongdoing |
| 3) felony | c) recognized and permitted by the law |
| 4) misdemeanor | d) accuse |
| 5) murder | e) violent and sudden attack |
| 6) penalty | f) the study of law and legal philosophy |
| 7) assault | g) major serious crime, e.g. murder, armed robbery, arson |
| 8) responsibility | h) legal offence less serious than a felony |
| 9) charge | i) prosecution of a claim in a law court |
| 10) lawsuit | j) unlawful killing of a human being on purpose |
| 11) legal | k) duty |
| 12) civil law | l) the branch of law dealing with crimes and their punishment |
Answer the questions.
1) What two groups of laws do you know?
2) What is a criminal case?
3) How are criminal offenses divided?
4) What crimes are more serious?
5) What is the penalty for a felony and for a misdemeanor?
6) What do civil laws regulate?
7) Give your own examples of how one action can violate both civil and criminal laws.